Origin
Conway, SC
Afternoon in Conway on Friday
Local time
1:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Conway, SC to Garden City Beach, SC
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
21.5 mi
35 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Conway, SC
Wikimedia Commons
Garden City Beach, SC
Kate Strilchuk
Trip Overview
The drive from Conway, SC to Garden City Beach, SC covers 21.5 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on SC 544, Highway 17, Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.9 miles on SC 544. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.36 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 21.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 37m highway drive covering 21.5 miles, with most of the trip on SC 544 and Highway 17. The longest continuous stretch is about 8.9 miles on SC 544.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
SC 544 is the longest continuous segment at about 8.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on SC 544 and Highway 17. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 14.7 miles in near US 17 / Highway 17.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.7 miles (US 17 / Highway 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles (Garden City Connector): Navigation decision point; at 19.1 miles (Garden City Connector): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
14.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
US 17 / Highway 17
Merge onto US 17 / Highway 17
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
18.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Garden City Connector
Turn left onto Garden City Connector
Navigation decision point
4
19.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Garden City Connector
Enter roundabout onto Garden City Connector
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
19.8 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
US 17 Business
Turn right onto US 17 Business
Navigation decision point
4
21.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
S-26-155 / South Waccamaw Drive
At end of road, turn right onto S-26-155 / South Waccamaw Drive
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SC 544 | 8.9 mi | 15m |
| Highway 17 | 4 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| SC 544 Overpass | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Garden City Connector | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Atlantic Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| US 17 Business | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Waccamaw Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
SC 544
— 8.9 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Conway, SC and Garden City Beach, SC.
1
Start on SC 905
331 ft
·
13 sec
·
4th Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 501 Business
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
3
Continue on SC 544
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
SC 544 Overpass
4
Continue on SC 544
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
SC 544
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn straight onto SC 544
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
SC 544
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward US 17 South: Georgetown
7
Merge onto US 17
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Highway 17
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left onto Garden City Connector
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
Garden City Connector
9
Enter roundabout onto Garden City Connector
74 ft
·
2 sec
·
Garden City Connector
10
Continue on Garden City Connector
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Garden City Connector
11
Turn right onto US 17 Business
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
US 17 Business
12
Turn left onto S-26-51
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Atlantic Avenue
13
At end of road, turn right onto S-26-155
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
South Waccamaw Drive
14
Turn right onto Cedar Avenue
301 ft
·
13 sec
·
Cedar Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Cedar Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.36 one way
$6.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.68 | $7.35 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.98 | $7.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.75 | $9.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Garden City Beach, SC
Afternoon in Garden City Beach on Friday
Local time
1:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
4 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Conway, SC to Garden City Beach, SC covers 21.5 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are SC 544, Highway 17, Main Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.8 miles from Conway, SC. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.36 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 37m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 14.7 miles (US 17 / Highway 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles (Garden City Connector): Navigation decision point; at 19.1 miles (Garden City Connector): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Conway, SC to Garden City Beach, SC does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Garden City Beach, SC
Explore more options from Conway, SC or browse trips ending in Garden City Beach, SC.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse SC road trips.